Abstract

Aspherical magnetic particles orient in a magnetic field due to magnetic shape anisotropy. They also emit different fluxes of light from their different geometric faces due to self-absorption and total internal reflection within the particles. The particles rotate in response to rotating magnetic fields and appear to blink as they rotate. We have made pancake and chain shaped particles and magnetically modulated their fluorescent intensities. Demodulating the signal extracts the probe fluorescence from electronic and optical backgrounds dramatically increasing signal to noise ratios. The probes have applications in sensitive and rapid immunoassays, improved intracellular sensors, and inexpensive single molecule analysis.